First suspect accused of kidnapping, torturing Italian tourist in court
SOHO, Manhattan (PIX11) – One of the suspects accused of kidnapping and torturing an Italian tourist for his Bitcoin account is expected in court on Wednesday.
John Woeltz, 37, was arrested by police officers on Friday. He, along with 33-year-old William Duplessie, allegedly lured the 28-year-old victim to an eight-bedroom SoHo townhouse back on May 6 to steal his cryptocurrency fortune, according to authorities.
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The men are accused of using a gun to beat the victim, shocking him with electric wires, cutting his leg with a saw, urinating on him, forcing him to smoke crack cocaine and putting an AirTag on him to watch his every move, prosecutors said.
The tourist told his attackers he needed his computer to get his crypto account passwords, which is when he managed to escape, according to authorities. Police said the man was found beaten and bloodied and told officers he had been held hostage for more than three weeks.
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Duplessie turned himself in on Tuesday morning to the NYPD. Police said he was charged with assault, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a firearm.
Attorneys for both suspects have declined to comment on the case.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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